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World News and Headlines From ABC News Radioen-us(c) ABC News RadioRussian who says he helped meddle in US election studied hit show 'House of Cards'http://stillwaterradio.net/abc-world-news/af9dc44f556fd9f75d53ba5f0ea81952
Mon, 16 Oct 2017 14:02:00 -0500http://stillwaterradio.net/abc-world-news/af9dc44f556fd9f75d53ba5f0ea81952Mike Marsland/WireImage via Getty Images(WASHINGTON) -- Russian "trolls" working for a company that allegedly used fake social-media accounts to try to influence U.S. voters in the 2016 election were required to watch the political thriller TV show "House of Cards" to increase their understanding of American politics, according to an interview broadcast in Russia.

In an interview aired Sunday by independent Russian station TV Rain, a man identified only as "Maksim" says he worked for the English-language department of a so-called "troll factory" that U.S. officials say was involved in an information campaign on American social media during the election.

Maksim, who said he worked for the company around 18 months and quit in early 2015, said his department was tasked with stirring up dissatisfaction against the U.S. government and harming the election chances of Democrat Hillary Clinton by writing in the comment sections of major American media outlets, such as The New York Times and The Washington Post. He said they tried to drive discussion toward specific topics, such as past alleged scandals around the former secretary of state and her husband, former President Bill Clinton.

"About her it was always bad," said Maksim, whose face was concealed during the broadcast. "The basic message was: 'Aren't you tired, my American brothers, of the Clintons?'"

He added that more broadly "our goal was to set Americans against their government ... to provoke riots, to provoke dissatisfaction. There was a goal to influence opinion, to drive the discussion."

The troll factory, located in an innocuous-looking building on the edge of St. Petersburg's city center, first attracted wide notice after a 2015 article in The New York Times magazine said the company's workers were pumping out pro-Kremlin messaging on social media and comment sections largely for a Russian-speaking audience. The article said the company has gone by different names but is best known as the Internet Research Agency.

Attention has focused on the company again since Facebook said last month that the Internet Research Agency spent $100,000 on U.S. political ads on the social network during the 2016 election.

Facebook handed over 3,000 ads it said purchased by the company to the Senate and House intelligence committees that are investigating Russia’s alleged interference in the election. The ads were purchased between June 2015 and May 2017, according to Facebook.

Maksim told TV Rain his department had been ordered to study American media to identify divisive topics. Employees were told to read through thousands of posts in the comments sections of U.S. news outlets before commenting themselves, Maksim said, with success measured in how many "likes" a post attracted from other users.

“You had to know all the basic problems of the United States of America. Tax problems, problems with the gays, sexual minorities, weapons,” he said. Inserting crude comments about homosexual men, he said, was viewed as a reliable technique for attracting "likes."

Employees were required to watch "House of Cards" as a way to learn about American politics and to improve their English.

“At the beginning, they made us watch 'House of Cards' in English,” Maksim said.

He said he and others in his department were ordered not to refer to Russia in their posts or to try to promote Moscow's viewpoint.

Maksim's account follows reports from Facebook, an independent Russian journalist and comments from one of the leaders of the Senate Intelligence Committee about the Internet Research Agency.

Facebook told congressional investigators that the Internet Research Agency was especially busy during the U.S. 2016 campaign.

The social media giant’s chief security officer, Alex Stamos, said in a post on Facebook that most of the posts on his company's network that appear to have been connected to Russia did not mention a specific presidential candidate or the election, but focused on “amplifying divisive social and political messages” on immigration, gun rights and LGBT issues.

Roger McNamee, a venture capitalist and early investor in Facebook, told ABC News the Russian effort may have started as merely an attempt to sow discontent, but as the campaign unfolded, he said it became clear the effort grew increasingly focused.

“Classic Russian intelligence techniques of taking the most extreme voices and amplifying them,” he said. “It was the perfect petri dish for this kind of campaign.

Sen. Mark Warner of Virginia, the top Democrat on the Senate Intelligence Committee, told ABC News last month that based on the Facebook ads he'd seen at that point it was clear the posts included divisive messages intended to “help one candidate and potentially hurt another.” He said the ads clearly appeared to be part of a broader effort that the U.S. intelligence community has determined was designed to aid Donald Trump and hurt Hillary Clinton in the election.

Independent Russian journalist Lyudmila Savchuk, who worked for the Internet Research Agency in 2015 to expose what the factory was doing, told ABC News that young Russians posed as Americans online, working 12-hour shifts at the company’s headquarters posting comments on U.S. political issues selected by their bosses. Facebook, she said, was one of their primary platforms.

“'Troll factory' is a very appropriate name for it because it really is a large-scale production that works around the clock, and they don't take time off for holidays, lunch nor sleep,” she said. “A huge quantity of content is being produced.”

Maksim said in the Russian TV interview that when people in his department commented on U.S. news sites, they would use VPNs — virtual private networks — that disguise a computer’s real location. Those employees who failed to conceal themselves were punished, he said.

TV Rain said that Maksim had shown the station a document certifying his employment for Internet Research Agency as proof he had worked there.

]]>Mike Marsland/WireImage via Getty Images(WASHINGTON) -- Russian "trolls" working for a company that allegedly used fake social-media accounts to try to influence U.S. voters in the 2016 election were required to watch the political thriller TV show "House of Cards" to increase their understanding of American politics, according to an interview broadcast in Russia.

In an interview aired Sunday by independent Russian station TV Rain, a man identified only as "Maksim" says he worked for the English-language department of a so-called "troll factory" that U.S. officials say was involved in an information campaign on American social media during the election.

Maksim, who said he worked for the company around 18 months and quit in early 2015, said his department was tasked with stirring up dissatisfaction against the U.S. government and harming the election chances of Democrat Hillary Clinton by writing in the comment sections of major American media outlets, such as The New York Times and The Washington Post. He said they tried to drive discussion toward specific topics, such as past alleged scandals around the former secretary of state and her husband, former President Bill Clinton.

"About her it was always bad," said Maksim, whose face was concealed during the broadcast. "The basic message was: 'Aren't you tired, my American brothers, of the Clintons?'"

He added that more broadly "our goal was to set Americans against their government ... to provoke riots, to provoke dissatisfaction. There was a goal to influence opinion, to drive the discussion."

The troll factory, located in an innocuous-looking building on the edge of St. Petersburg's city center, first attracted wide notice after a 2015 article in The New York Times magazine said the company's workers were pumping out pro-Kremlin messaging on social media and comment sections largely for a Russian-speaking audience. The article said the company has gone by different names but is best known as the Internet Research Agency.

Attention has focused on the company again since Facebook said last month that the Internet Research Agency spent $100,000 on U.S. political ads on the social network during the 2016 election.

Facebook handed over 3,000 ads it said purchased by the company to the Senate and House intelligence committees that are investigating Russia’s alleged interference in the election. The ads were purchased between June 2015 and May 2017, according to Facebook.

Maksim told TV Rain his department had been ordered to study American media to identify divisive topics. Employees were told to read through thousands of posts in the comments sections of U.S. news outlets before commenting themselves, Maksim said, with success measured in how many "likes" a post attracted from other users.

“You had to know all the basic problems of the United States of America. Tax problems, problems with the gays, sexual minorities, weapons,” he said. Inserting crude comments about homosexual men, he said, was viewed as a reliable technique for attracting "likes."

Employees were required to watch "House of Cards" as a way to learn about American politics and to improve their English.

“At the beginning, they made us watch 'House of Cards' in English,” Maksim said.

He said he and others in his department were ordered not to refer to Russia in their posts or to try to promote Moscow's viewpoint.

Maksim's account follows reports from Facebook, an independent Russian journalist and comments from one of the leaders of the Senate Intelligence Committee about the Internet Research Agency.

Facebook told congressional investigators that the Internet Research Agency was especially busy during the U.S. 2016 campaign.

The social media giant’s chief security officer, Alex Stamos, said in a post on Facebook that most of the posts on his company's network that appear to have been connected to Russia did not mention a specific presidential candidate or the election, but focused on “amplifying divisive social and political messages” on immigration, gun rights and LGBT issues.

Roger McNamee, a venture capitalist and early investor in Facebook, told ABC News the Russian effort may have started as merely an attempt to sow discontent, but as the campaign unfolded, he said it became clear the effort grew increasingly focused.

“Classic Russian intelligence techniques of taking the most extreme voices and amplifying them,” he said. “It was the perfect petri dish for this kind of campaign.

Sen. Mark Warner of Virginia, the top Democrat on the Senate Intelligence Committee, told ABC News last month that based on the Facebook ads he'd seen at that point it was clear the posts included divisive messages intended to “help one candidate and potentially hurt another.” He said the ads clearly appeared to be part of a broader effort that the U.S. intelligence community has determined was designed to aid Donald Trump and hurt Hillary Clinton in the election.

Independent Russian journalist Lyudmila Savchuk, who worked for the Internet Research Agency in 2015 to expose what the factory was doing, told ABC News that young Russians posed as Americans online, working 12-hour shifts at the company’s headquarters posting comments on U.S. political issues selected by their bosses. Facebook, she said, was one of their primary platforms.

“'Troll factory' is a very appropriate name for it because it really is a large-scale production that works around the clock, and they don't take time off for holidays, lunch nor sleep,” she said. “A huge quantity of content is being produced.”

Maksim said in the Russian TV interview that when people in his department commented on U.S. news sites, they would use VPNs — virtual private networks — that disguise a computer’s real location. Those employees who failed to conceal themselves were punished, he said.

TV Rain said that Maksim had shown the station a document certifying his employment for Internet Research Agency as proof he had worked there.

]]>Death toll in 'barbaric' bombing in Somalia rises to 300http://stillwaterradio.net/abc-world-news/27760330bf9c9922598e0b7602afc9ae
Mon, 16 Oct 2017 11:19:00 -0500http://stillwaterradio.net/abc-world-news/27760330bf9c9922598e0b7602afc9aeSadak Mohamed/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images(NEW YORK) -- Two powerful truck bombs in the heart of Somalia’s capital Mogadishu on Saturday killed at least 300 people and injured about 300 more, in what authorities call the deadliest attack in the country’s history.

Funerals have begun for the killed who have been found. But the death toll from the attacks is expected to rise, as rescue workers continue attempts to pull victims from the rubble.

The government has blamed the al-Qaida-affiliated al-Shabab group for the attacks, but the extremist group has not yet commented.

Somalia’s President Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed Farmaajo announced three days of mourning for the victims and said flags will be flown at half-mast. The Minister of Information, Abdirahman O. Osman called the attack barbaric and said that officials from Turkey and Djibouti have arrived in Mogadishu to provide support for the victims and that more than 30 injured people were flown to Turkey for treatment.

over 30 injured people were flown to Turkey to receive medical assistance. Thanks to Turkey for it is readiness as always to assist #Somalia. Turkey won the hearts and minds of Somali people pic.twitter.com/aa7uI2I8x5

Hospitals are overextended and struggling to treat victims, many of whom sustained severe burn injuries. Volunteers have been providing first aid and have transferred many wounded to nearby medical points.

U.N. Secretary General António Guterres said on Sunday that he was “sickened” by the attack, which took place on a crowded street, and sent condolences to the victims.

Sickened by attacks in Mogadishu. I send condolences to the victims and urge unity in the face of terrorism and violent extremism.

The Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General for Somalia, Michael Keating, said an “unprecedented” number of civilians had been killed.

“I am shocked and appalled by the number of lives that were lost in the bombings and the scale of destruction they caused,” he said in a statement “The perpetrators struck a densely populated neighborhood of Mogadishu. They have killed an unprecedented number of civilians. It is a revolting attack both in terms of its intent and impact.”

The International Committee of the Red Cross said that the attacks were a reminder of the toll the armed conflict in Somalia has had on civilians.

"Thousands of civilians lose their life in Somalia every year as a direct consequence of the ongoing conflict," said Jordi Raich, ICRC's Head of Delegation, in a statement.

]]>Sadak Mohamed/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images(NEW YORK) -- Two powerful truck bombs in the heart of Somalia’s capital Mogadishu on Saturday killed at least 300 people and injured about 300 more, in what authorities call the deadliest attack in the country’s history.

Funerals have begun for the killed who have been found. But the death toll from the attacks is expected to rise, as rescue workers continue attempts to pull victims from the rubble.

The government has blamed the al-Qaida-affiliated al-Shabab group for the attacks, but the extremist group has not yet commented.

Somalia’s President Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed Farmaajo announced three days of mourning for the victims and said flags will be flown at half-mast. The Minister of Information, Abdirahman O. Osman called the attack barbaric and said that officials from Turkey and Djibouti have arrived in Mogadishu to provide support for the victims and that more than 30 injured people were flown to Turkey for treatment.

over 30 injured people were flown to Turkey to receive medical assistance. Thanks to Turkey for it is readiness as always to assist #Somalia. Turkey won the hearts and minds of Somali people pic.twitter.com/aa7uI2I8x5

Hospitals are overextended and struggling to treat victims, many of whom sustained severe burn injuries. Volunteers have been providing first aid and have transferred many wounded to nearby medical points.

U.N. Secretary General António Guterres said on Sunday that he was “sickened” by the attack, which took place on a crowded street, and sent condolences to the victims.

Sickened by attacks in Mogadishu. I send condolences to the victims and urge unity in the face of terrorism and violent extremism.

The Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General for Somalia, Michael Keating, said an “unprecedented” number of civilians had been killed.

“I am shocked and appalled by the number of lives that were lost in the bombings and the scale of destruction they caused,” he said in a statement “The perpetrators struck a densely populated neighborhood of Mogadishu. They have killed an unprecedented number of civilians. It is a revolting attack both in terms of its intent and impact.”

The International Committee of the Red Cross said that the attacks were a reminder of the toll the armed conflict in Somalia has had on civilians.

"Thousands of civilians lose their life in Somalia every year as a direct consequence of the ongoing conflict," said Jordi Raich, ICRC's Head of Delegation, in a statement.

A woman in her 50s was killed when a tree fell on her car as she was driving. Another woman in her 70s who was a passenger in the car was injured. A man was also killed after a tree struck his car. And, a third person died in an incident related to the storm when he suffered a serious injury from a chainsaw as he was clearing a fallen tree, police said.

The Irish Meteorological Service reported wind gusts off the south coast of Ireland as high as 109 mph and said the wind was taking down trees. It said that the storm is expected to bring further "violent and destructive" wind as well as flooding from heavy rain and storm surges to Ireland. Ophelia is likely to be the most powerful storm to hit Ireland since Hurricane Debbie in 1961, forecasters said. Ireland closed schools and hospitals ahead of Ophelia, placed troops on standby and warned people to stay inside. The government said that schools will remain closed Tuesday. More than 350,000 homes and businesses are already without power.

The very strong winds will probably extend to parts of northern England along with some southern and central parts of Scotland in the evening, the U.K.'s meteorological service said.

The Met Office issued an amber weather warning for Northern Ireland from 12:00 p.m. -- 11:00 p.m. GMT Monday, saying power cuts are likely and that cancellations and longer journey times are to be expected as some bridges might close while road, rail, air and ferry services might be affected.

Ophelia is technically no longer a hurricane, but will still pack hurricane-level wind gusts while passing over Ireland before likely crossing over to Northern Ireland.

Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar said residents should avoid "unnecessary travel or other outdoor activities." The U.S.-based disaster modeler Enki Research said Ophelia's could cause up to $1.5 billion in damages in Ireland and up to $2.5 billion overall in the British Isles.

Public safety is our key concern today. Advice is to stay at home, no unnecessary travel or other outdoor activities. Further updates later.

“By the time Ophelia reaches our latitudes, she will be weakening and will be an ex-hurricane,” said Steve Ramsdale, chief forecaster at the Met Office in the U.K,, in a statement. “However, Ex-Ophelia will be bringing some significant impacts to Northern Ireland and western and northern Britain on Monday and Tuesday.”

The powerful winds will probably extend to parts of northern England and some southern and central parts of Scotland in the evening as winds turn more to the southwest, said the Met Office. Heavy rain is also possible in Northern Ireland and western Scotland. The rest of the U.K. will see breezy weather, but the wind is not expected to bring widespread disruption there, the Met Office said.

Matt Crofts, a lifesaving manager with the Royal National Lifeboat Institution, a British charity that aims to rescue those at risk of drowning, warned people from going out to watch the big waves.

“Stormy conditions may be tempting to watch but big waves can easily knock you off your feet,” he said in a statement. “The sea is far more powerful than you think and your chances of survival are slim if you are dragged into the swell. Our volunteer lifeboat crews will always launch to rescue those in danger at sea, but to launch into conditions like these could also put their lives at risk.”

In the U.K., media have compared Ophelia to the Great Storm of 1987, which hit the country exactly 30 years ago and killed 22 people.

A woman in her 50s was killed when a tree fell on her car as she was driving. Another woman in her 70s who was a passenger in the car was injured. A man was also killed after a tree struck his car. And, a third person died in an incident related to the storm when he suffered a serious injury from a chainsaw as he was clearing a fallen tree, police said.

The Irish Meteorological Service reported wind gusts off the south coast of Ireland as high as 109 mph and said the wind was taking down trees. It said that the storm is expected to bring further "violent and destructive" wind as well as flooding from heavy rain and storm surges to Ireland. Ophelia is likely to be the most powerful storm to hit Ireland since Hurricane Debbie in 1961, forecasters said. Ireland closed schools and hospitals ahead of Ophelia, placed troops on standby and warned people to stay inside. The government said that schools will remain closed Tuesday. More than 350,000 homes and businesses are already without power.

The very strong winds will probably extend to parts of northern England along with some southern and central parts of Scotland in the evening, the U.K.'s meteorological service said.

The Met Office issued an amber weather warning for Northern Ireland from 12:00 p.m. -- 11:00 p.m. GMT Monday, saying power cuts are likely and that cancellations and longer journey times are to be expected as some bridges might close while road, rail, air and ferry services might be affected.

Ophelia is technically no longer a hurricane, but will still pack hurricane-level wind gusts while passing over Ireland before likely crossing over to Northern Ireland.

Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar said residents should avoid "unnecessary travel or other outdoor activities." The U.S.-based disaster modeler Enki Research said Ophelia's could cause up to $1.5 billion in damages in Ireland and up to $2.5 billion overall in the British Isles.

Public safety is our key concern today. Advice is to stay at home, no unnecessary travel or other outdoor activities. Further updates later.

“By the time Ophelia reaches our latitudes, she will be weakening and will be an ex-hurricane,” said Steve Ramsdale, chief forecaster at the Met Office in the U.K,, in a statement. “However, Ex-Ophelia will be bringing some significant impacts to Northern Ireland and western and northern Britain on Monday and Tuesday.”

The powerful winds will probably extend to parts of northern England and some southern and central parts of Scotland in the evening as winds turn more to the southwest, said the Met Office. Heavy rain is also possible in Northern Ireland and western Scotland. The rest of the U.K. will see breezy weather, but the wind is not expected to bring widespread disruption there, the Met Office said.

Matt Crofts, a lifesaving manager with the Royal National Lifeboat Institution, a British charity that aims to rescue those at risk of drowning, warned people from going out to watch the big waves.

“Stormy conditions may be tempting to watch but big waves can easily knock you off your feet,” he said in a statement. “The sea is far more powerful than you think and your chances of survival are slim if you are dragged into the swell. Our volunteer lifeboat crews will always launch to rescue those in danger at sea, but to launch into conditions like these could also put their lives at risk.”

In the U.K., media have compared Ophelia to the Great Storm of 1987, which hit the country exactly 30 years ago and killed 22 people.

]]>Rescued hostage Joshua Boyle says children are 'improving'http://stillwaterradio.net/abc-world-news/c2c8baa278ec913d070f166b64b0466c
Mon, 16 Oct 2017 04:27:00 -0500http://stillwaterradio.net/abc-world-news/c2c8baa278ec913d070f166b64b0466ciStock/Thinkstock(NEW YORK) -- Rescued Canadian hostage Joshua Boyle said his children are "improving" after spending their entire life being help captive in the mountains of Afghanistan.

“The children are improving, we mentioned before that the eldest Najaeshi Jonah was doing well but that his younger brother Dhakwoen Noah was still struggling as much as ever with even just being able to look at his grandparents faces without terror,” Boyle told CP24 in an emailed statement last week.

Boyle arrived in Toronto with his wife, Caitlan Coleman, and their three children on Friday after being held hostage for five years by a Taliban-affiliated terrorist network. The family was rescued in Pakistan on Wednesday in a dramatic operation orchestrated by the U.S. and Pakistani governments, officials said last week.

He said Dhakwoen was initially afraid of his grandparents, but he warmed up to them “literally overnight” after his grandmother made him a hearty pancake breakfast.

“Obviously he's still incredibly troubled and stressed over everything, but it's a major step,” Boyle said, speaking of Dhakwoen’s newfound love for his grandma. “She's the first person he's accepted since 2015.”

He said his daughter, Ma'idah, still finds it hard to be around other men.

“She still can't be within a metre of any man except her father but if she sees a woman she starts squirming and trying to get over to her, regardless of who it is — to nestle in the love,” Boyle said.

Boyle and his wife, who was pregnant with their first child at the time, were kidnaped while on a backpacking trip in Afghanistan in October 2012.

The couple had four children while in captivity, but Boyle said their fourth child, an infant daughter, was murdered by their abductors. The Taliban has denied those claims.

Boyle said the family is currently living with his parents in Smiths Falls, Ont., located about an hour south of Ottawa, which he his children's "first true home."

"We have reached the first true “home” that the children have ever known – after they spent most of Friday asking if each subsequent airport was our new house hopefully," Boyle said in a separate statement on Saturday.

"Full medical work-ups for each member of my family are being arranged right now, and God-willing the healing process – physically and mentally can begin," he added.

“The children are improving, we mentioned before that the eldest Najaeshi Jonah was doing well but that his younger brother Dhakwoen Noah was still struggling as much as ever with even just being able to look at his grandparents faces without terror,” Boyle told CP24 in an emailed statement last week.

Boyle arrived in Toronto with his wife, Caitlan Coleman, and their three children on Friday after being held hostage for five years by a Taliban-affiliated terrorist network. The family was rescued in Pakistan on Wednesday in a dramatic operation orchestrated by the U.S. and Pakistani governments, officials said last week.

He said Dhakwoen was initially afraid of his grandparents, but he warmed up to them “literally overnight” after his grandmother made him a hearty pancake breakfast.

“Obviously he's still incredibly troubled and stressed over everything, but it's a major step,” Boyle said, speaking of Dhakwoen’s newfound love for his grandma. “She's the first person he's accepted since 2015.”

He said his daughter, Ma'idah, still finds it hard to be around other men.

“She still can't be within a metre of any man except her father but if she sees a woman she starts squirming and trying to get over to her, regardless of who it is — to nestle in the love,” Boyle said.

Boyle and his wife, who was pregnant with their first child at the time, were kidnaped while on a backpacking trip in Afghanistan in October 2012.

The couple had four children while in captivity, but Boyle said their fourth child, an infant daughter, was murdered by their abductors. The Taliban has denied those claims.

Boyle said the family is currently living with his parents in Smiths Falls, Ont., located about an hour south of Ottawa, which he his children's "first true home."

"We have reached the first true “home” that the children have ever known – after they spent most of Friday asking if each subsequent airport was our new house hopefully," Boyle said in a separate statement on Saturday.

"Full medical work-ups for each member of my family are being arranged right now, and God-willing the healing process – physically and mentally can begin," he added.

The attack left 276 people dead and around 300 others injured, the country's information minister, Abdirahman Osman, said late Sunday. The death toll is expected to rise.

Fifty-year-old Ahmed AbdiKarin Eyow arrived in his hometown of Mogadishu just hours before the deadly bomb went off, according to his family. He was resting in his hotel room when the blast struck, destroying the hotel and many other buildings in the surrounding area.

"We miss him so much,” Eyow's widow, Ruun Abdi Eyow, said at a press conference on Sunday. "I want people to know that he was a great father. He has two jobs, and my husband works very hard."

Born in Somalia, Eyow became a refugee when he fled the East African nation after its government collapsed in 1991, according to his mosque. He eventually settled in Minnesota in 1998.

"Ahmed was one of our most effective and active community members in our center," Mohamed Omar, executive director of the Dar Al-Farooq Islamic Center, said at the news conference on Sunday.

Ahmed AbdiKarin Eyow left for Somalia on Oct. 7 “with great hope, looking forward to a chance to make a difference in his home country,” according to the Dar Al-Farooq Islamic Center in Bloomington, Minn., where Eyow attended daily prayer services.

“He was working as a welder but longed to return to his homeland of Somalia,” the center said in a statement on Sunday. “He thought that he could help bring back stability to Somalia by applying for a job as a representative with the UN.”

The Islamic center has set up a GoFundMe page to help raise money for the Eyow family.

The attack left 276 people dead and around 300 others injured, the country's information minister, Abdirahman Osman, said late Sunday. The death toll is expected to rise.

Fifty-year-old Ahmed AbdiKarin Eyow arrived in his hometown of Mogadishu just hours before the deadly bomb went off, according to his family. He was resting in his hotel room when the blast struck, destroying the hotel and many other buildings in the surrounding area.

"We miss him so much,” Eyow's widow, Ruun Abdi Eyow, said at a press conference on Sunday. "I want people to know that he was a great father. He has two jobs, and my husband works very hard."

Born in Somalia, Eyow became a refugee when he fled the East African nation after its government collapsed in 1991, according to his mosque. He eventually settled in Minnesota in 1998.

"Ahmed was one of our most effective and active community members in our center," Mohamed Omar, executive director of the Dar Al-Farooq Islamic Center, said at the news conference on Sunday.

Ahmed AbdiKarin Eyow left for Somalia on Oct. 7 “with great hope, looking forward to a chance to make a difference in his home country,” according to the Dar Al-Farooq Islamic Center in Bloomington, Minn., where Eyow attended daily prayer services.

“He was working as a welder but longed to return to his homeland of Somalia,” the center said in a statement on Sunday. “He thought that he could help bring back stability to Somalia by applying for a job as a representative with the UN.”

The Islamic center has set up a GoFundMe page to help raise money for the Eyow family.

Police in London are investigating claims against the movie mogul that go back more than 20 years, ABC News has learned. Metropolitan Police confirmed at least three alleged victims have come forward, but they would not confirm Weinstein's involvement nor the women's names.

In an interview with the Sunday Times, Lysette Anthony, a British actress and soap opera star, said she told police she was raped by the Miramax co-founder in the late 1980's and reportedly gave evidence to officials last week.

There is no statute of limitations for sex crimes and other serious cases in the U.K. In the U.S., the law varies by state. The state of New York does not have a statute of limitations for rape claims and the New York Police Department said it is conducting a review of incidents related to Weinstein.

More than 35 women have have accused Weinstein of sexual harrassment or assault. In a previous statement to the New Yorker, Weinstein denied "any allegations of non-consensual sex."

]]>iStock/Thinkstock(LONDON) -- Harvey Weinstein is facing new sexual assault allegations that could lead to criminal charges in London.

Police in London are investigating claims against the movie mogul that go back more than 20 years, ABC News has learned. Metropolitan Police confirmed at least three alleged victims have come forward, but they would not confirm Weinstein's involvement nor the women's names.

In an interview with the Sunday Times, Lysette Anthony, a British actress and soap opera star, said she told police she was raped by the Miramax co-founder in the late 1980's and reportedly gave evidence to officials last week.

There is no statute of limitations for sex crimes and other serious cases in the U.K. In the U.S., the law varies by state. The state of New York does not have a statute of limitations for rape claims and the New York Police Department said it is conducting a review of incidents related to Weinstein.

More than 35 women have have accused Weinstein of sexual harrassment or assault. In a previous statement to the New Yorker, Weinstein denied "any allegations of non-consensual sex."

At least 276 people were killed and hundreds more wounded in the explosion near the entrance of the Safari Hotel in Mogadishu, according to a government spokesperson. The death toll is expected to rise.

Abdirahman Osman, spokesperson to Somali President Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed, said on Twitter that Al-Shabaab was responsible for the "barbaric attack." No terror group has claimed responsibility.

The death toll rises to 276 as of now and around 300 injured as a result of yesterday's barbaric attack by terrorists' group Al-Shabaab at KM5 junction in #Mogadishu, #Somalia

The president declared three days of mourning for the victims of the blast.

U.S. State Department spokesperson Heather Nauert condemned the attack in a statement on Sunday: "In the face of this senseless and cowardly act, the United States will continue to stand with the Somali government, its people, and our international allies to combat terrorism and support their efforts to achieve peace, security, and prosperity."

]]>Sadak Mohamed/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images(MOGADISHU, Somalia) -- Hundreds are dead after a truck packed with explosives detonated in the capital of Somalia on Saturday.

At least 276 people were killed and hundreds more wounded in the explosion near the entrance of the Safari Hotel in Mogadishu, according to a government spokesperson. The death toll is expected to rise.

Abdirahman Osman, spokesperson to Somali President Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed, said on Twitter that Al-Shabaab was responsible for the "barbaric attack." No terror group has claimed responsibility.

The death toll rises to 276 as of now and around 300 injured as a result of yesterday's barbaric attack by terrorists' group Al-Shabaab at KM5 junction in #Mogadishu, #Somalia

The president declared three days of mourning for the victims of the blast.

U.S. State Department spokesperson Heather Nauert condemned the attack in a statement on Sunday: "In the face of this senseless and cowardly act, the United States will continue to stand with the Somali government, its people, and our international allies to combat terrorism and support their efforts to achieve peace, security, and prosperity."

]]>Freed hostage says Taliban-linked captors killed infant daughter, raped American wifehttp://stillwaterradio.net/abc-world-news/56999abf3b3fe1c09fa339026092ef66
Sun, 15 Oct 2017 19:06:00 -0500http://stillwaterradio.net/abc-world-news/56999abf3b3fe1c09fa339026092ef66Steve Russell/Toronto Star via Getty Images(TORONTO) -- After being held hostage for five years by a Taliban-affiliated terrorist network in the mountains of Afghanistan, a Canadian man, his American wife and their three children born in captivity arrived in Toronto Friday night.

Joshua Boyle -- who arrived at Toronto's Pearson International Airport with his wife Caitlan Coleman and their children -- told reporters inside the Air Canada terminal that the Haqqani network killed a fourth child born in captivity, an infant daughter, and raped his wife.

"The stupidity and the evil of the Haqqani networks, kidnapping of a pilgrim and his heavily pregnant wife engaged in helping ordinary villagers in Taliban-controlled regions of Afghanistan was eclipsed only by the stupidity and evil of authorizing the murder of my infant daughter, Martyr Boyle," Boyle said, revealing the murder of his daughter.

He added, revealing the rape of his wife, "As retaliation of the repeated refusal to accept an offer that the criminal miscreants of the Haqqani had made to me. And the stupidity and evil of the subsequent rape of my wife, not as the lone action of one guard, but assisted by the captain of the guards and the commandant."

Speaking about the couple's children, Boyle said, "Obviously it would be of incredible importance to my family that we are able to build a secure sanctuary for our 3 surviving children to call a home, to focus on edification," Boyle told reporters. "And to try to regain of the childhood that they had lost."

The Government of Canada issued the following statement on the arrival of Joshua Boyle, his wife Caitlan Coleman and their children at Toronto's Pearson International Airport: "Today, we join the Boyle family in rejoicing over the long-awaited return to Canada of their loved ones. Canada has been actively engaged on Mr. Boyle’s case at all levels, and we will continue to support him and his family now that they have returned."

The couple and their children were rescued in a dramatic operation orchestrated by the U.S. and Pakistani governments, officials said Thursday.

The couple were abducted in October 2012 while in Afghanistan as part of a brief backpacking trip and held by the Haqqani network, which has ties to the Taliban and is considered a terrorist organization by the U.S. government. Coleman was pregnant at the time.

The operation came after years of U.S. pressure on Pakistan for assistance. It unfolded quickly and included what some described as a shootout and a dangerous raid. U.S. officials did not confirm the details.

The family arrived in Toronto after flying from Islamabad, Pakistan, with a stopover in London. The family was seated in business class next to U.S. State Department officials.

Boyle also expressed his displeasure with U.S. foreign policy by gesturing to one of the U.S. State Department officials and saying, "Their interests are not my interests."

Boyle said one of his children is suffering from health issues and needed to be force-fed by rescuers.

]]>Steve Russell/Toronto Star via Getty Images(TORONTO) -- After being held hostage for five years by a Taliban-affiliated terrorist network in the mountains of Afghanistan, a Canadian man, his American wife and their three children born in captivity arrived in Toronto Friday night.

Joshua Boyle -- who arrived at Toronto's Pearson International Airport with his wife Caitlan Coleman and their children -- told reporters inside the Air Canada terminal that the Haqqani network killed a fourth child born in captivity, an infant daughter, and raped his wife.

"The stupidity and the evil of the Haqqani networks, kidnapping of a pilgrim and his heavily pregnant wife engaged in helping ordinary villagers in Taliban-controlled regions of Afghanistan was eclipsed only by the stupidity and evil of authorizing the murder of my infant daughter, Martyr Boyle," Boyle said, revealing the murder of his daughter.

He added, revealing the rape of his wife, "As retaliation of the repeated refusal to accept an offer that the criminal miscreants of the Haqqani had made to me. And the stupidity and evil of the subsequent rape of my wife, not as the lone action of one guard, but assisted by the captain of the guards and the commandant."

Speaking about the couple's children, Boyle said, "Obviously it would be of incredible importance to my family that we are able to build a secure sanctuary for our 3 surviving children to call a home, to focus on edification," Boyle told reporters. "And to try to regain of the childhood that they had lost."

The Government of Canada issued the following statement on the arrival of Joshua Boyle, his wife Caitlan Coleman and their children at Toronto's Pearson International Airport: "Today, we join the Boyle family in rejoicing over the long-awaited return to Canada of their loved ones. Canada has been actively engaged on Mr. Boyle’s case at all levels, and we will continue to support him and his family now that they have returned."

The couple and their children were rescued in a dramatic operation orchestrated by the U.S. and Pakistani governments, officials said Thursday.

The couple were abducted in October 2012 while in Afghanistan as part of a brief backpacking trip and held by the Haqqani network, which has ties to the Taliban and is considered a terrorist organization by the U.S. government. Coleman was pregnant at the time.

The operation came after years of U.S. pressure on Pakistan for assistance. It unfolded quickly and included what some described as a shootout and a dangerous raid. U.S. officials did not confirm the details.

The family arrived in Toronto after flying from Islamabad, Pakistan, with a stopover in London. The family was seated in business class next to U.S. State Department officials.

Boyle also expressed his displeasure with U.S. foreign policy by gesturing to one of the U.S. State Department officials and saying, "Their interests are not my interests."

Boyle said one of his children is suffering from health issues and needed to be force-fed by rescuers.

]]>Astronaut tweets photo of 'beautiful' Puerto Rico from International Space Stationhttp://stillwaterradio.net/abc-world-news/e039157271853045853031c230916b76
Sun, 15 Oct 2017 11:19:00 -0500http://stillwaterradio.net/abc-world-news/e039157271853045853031c230916b76Joseph M. Acaba/Twitter(NEW YORK) -- For astronauts onboard the International Space Station, there are countless magnificent sights to see as they orbit the Earth.

But NASA's Joe Acaba, who is of Puerto Rican heritage, was waiting for the moment that the International Space Station would pass over his family's hurricane-ravaged homeland -- and that moment was finally realized on Saturday.

Acaba, 50, tweeted a pair of photos of the island, along with a message to the people still recovering from the destruction of Hurricane Maria.

]]>Joseph M. Acaba/Twitter(NEW YORK) -- For astronauts onboard the International Space Station, there are countless magnificent sights to see as they orbit the Earth.

But NASA's Joe Acaba, who is of Puerto Rican heritage, was waiting for the moment that the International Space Station would pass over his family's hurricane-ravaged homeland -- and that moment was finally realized on Saturday.

Acaba, 50, tweeted a pair of photos of the island, along with a message to the people still recovering from the destruction of Hurricane Maria.

The mass surrender is viewed as a sign that the coalition's battle to retake Raqqa could be nearing its end, with 85 percent of the city now under the coalition's control.

"This is consistent with the trend we have seen in the past month, both in Syria and Iraq. A good number of ISIS fighters are giving up," said Col. Ryan Dillon, spokesman for the anti-ISIS coalition.

In addition, over the last week, about 1,500 civilians in the area have safely made it to locations controlled by the U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces, Dillon said.

An estimated 300 to 400 fighters remain in Raqqa.

"We still expect difficult fighting in the days ahead and will not set a time for when we think ISIS will be completely defeated in Raqqa," Dillon added.

Separately, the Raqqa Civil Council and local Arab tribal elders have brokered a deal in which they are allowing a convoy of vehicles to leave Raqqa Saturday.

In a press release Saturday morning, the coalition, which was not involved in the discussions that led to this deal, said people who are being allowed to leave Raqqa are subject to search and screening by Syrian Democratic Forces.

The coalition also states in the release that the arrangement is "designed to minimize civilian casualties and purportedly excludes" foreign fighters.

However, the coalition's director of operations, Brig. Gen. Jonathan Braga, said the coalition is concerned about ISIS fighters fleeing the area.

"We do not condone any arrangement that allows Daesh terrorists to escape Raqqah without facing justice, only to resurface somewhere else," he said in the press release.

The mass surrender is viewed as a sign that the coalition's battle to retake Raqqa could be nearing its end, with 85 percent of the city now under the coalition's control.

"This is consistent with the trend we have seen in the past month, both in Syria and Iraq. A good number of ISIS fighters are giving up," said Col. Ryan Dillon, spokesman for the anti-ISIS coalition.

In addition, over the last week, about 1,500 civilians in the area have safely made it to locations controlled by the U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces, Dillon said.

An estimated 300 to 400 fighters remain in Raqqa.

"We still expect difficult fighting in the days ahead and will not set a time for when we think ISIS will be completely defeated in Raqqa," Dillon added.

Separately, the Raqqa Civil Council and local Arab tribal elders have brokered a deal in which they are allowing a convoy of vehicles to leave Raqqa Saturday.

In a press release Saturday morning, the coalition, which was not involved in the discussions that led to this deal, said people who are being allowed to leave Raqqa are subject to search and screening by Syrian Democratic Forces.

The coalition also states in the release that the arrangement is "designed to minimize civilian casualties and purportedly excludes" foreign fighters.

However, the coalition's director of operations, Brig. Gen. Jonathan Braga, said the coalition is concerned about ISIS fighters fleeing the area.

"We do not condone any arrangement that allows Daesh terrorists to escape Raqqah without facing justice, only to resurface somewhere else," he said in the press release.

The Women Entrepreneur Finance Initiative (WeFi), announced at the G-20 Summit in July and operable as of this week, will leverage more than a billion dollars in financing for women’s small- and medium-size enterprises in the developing world, where women are often cut out from accessing loans through traditional banks or struggle to gain access to adequate financial resources.

Anta Babacar -- a pioneering woman entrepreneur in Senegal, who manages the largest agricultural business in West Africa -- called the fund “the biggest opportunity one could dream of.”

Babacar said women often struggle to get loans from banks for business projects because the very fact that they are a woman makes them “more risky.”

Coming up in her own family business -- starting from the bottom and working her way up -- Babacar said she was unable to find a woman role model.

“The whole time I was wondering: Is there a woman in Senegal, in the agricultural sector, who has actually made it, who I can look up to? And I was sad to look around and see nobody,” she said.

The World Bank estimates that the unique challenges facing women have led to $300 billion credit deficit for women-owned, small- and medium-sized enterprises in the developing world.

Caren Grown, senior director for gender at the World Bank Group, said the new fund is the first of its kind and will take a “multi-pronged, eco-system approach” to tackle the collection of constraints facing women entrepreneurs, ranging from access to capital to training and support.

“I’ve been working on this topic for many years, and having a facility dedicated specifically to women with this level of finance -- we’ve never had something to this scale, something that really brings together the commercial private sector with governments,” Grown said.

Fourteen countries have collectively contributed $340 million to the fund -- $50 million of that is from the United States -- which will be used to enable at least an additional $800 million in international financial institutions and commercial financing.

Grown said one of the keys to getting the new fund off the ground has been the advocacy on the part of the first daughter, along with Chancellor Angela Merkel and International Monetary Fund Managing Director Christine LaGarde.

“The high-level advocacy has been really important,” Grown said. “We needed that push, and also the environment is right.”

The concept of the fund grew out of a conversation between the first daughter and World Bank President Jim Yong Kim early in the Trump administration, according to senior officials from the White House and World Bank, with the two identifying that there is not a comparable initiative. While the first daughter has no role in running the facility, she will continue to play an outside advocacy role going forward.

“The progress that the Women Entrepreneurs Finance Initiative has made over the past few months is encouraging and exciting,” Ivanka Trump said in a statement. “I look forward to continuing my work with the World Bank Group via this facility to support women entrepreneurs around the globe and remove existing barriers to their growth and success.”

The fund will seek to create more independent entrepreneurs such as Babacar, whose unique success story was made possible in large part thanks to the foresight of her father. When given the choice to invest in Babacar’s education or one of her two older brothers, he chose to invest in his daughter.

“In Senegal, back then, most girls did not go to school. For my dad to make that choice was really not understandable at that time, but he followed his gut that there are no limits for girls,” Babacar said.

Her father’s investment paid off.

Now in her early 30s, Babacar manages her family’s business that her father started in the 1970s with $120 he received from Anta’s grandfather to buy 100 chicks. After multiple setbacks, the poultry-focused business has grown into an empire that also produces flour.

The idea to break into the flour market was Babacar’s idea. And she’s made another change too: Hiring more women to positions of power within the company.

Babacar said women often face discrimination in the hiring process because of their gender.

“For certain positions, they will not even look at the resume. They will just look at the picture -- man on one side, woman on the other -- and they will pick the man,” she said, adding that pregnancy is viewed as “a sickness.”

“If it was a man, we would not be missing four or five months. For that reason, they would have chosen to put a man in that position, which I think is really unfair,” she added.

Now in a position to hire herself, Babacar sees it as her responsibility to not only help other qualified women advance in her business, but also to serve as the role model she never had for other aspiring women entrepreneurs.

The Women Entrepreneur Finance Initiative (WeFi), announced at the G-20 Summit in July and operable as of this week, will leverage more than a billion dollars in financing for women’s small- and medium-size enterprises in the developing world, where women are often cut out from accessing loans through traditional banks or struggle to gain access to adequate financial resources.

Anta Babacar -- a pioneering woman entrepreneur in Senegal, who manages the largest agricultural business in West Africa -- called the fund “the biggest opportunity one could dream of.”

Babacar said women often struggle to get loans from banks for business projects because the very fact that they are a woman makes them “more risky.”

Coming up in her own family business -- starting from the bottom and working her way up -- Babacar said she was unable to find a woman role model.

“The whole time I was wondering: Is there a woman in Senegal, in the agricultural sector, who has actually made it, who I can look up to? And I was sad to look around and see nobody,” she said.

The World Bank estimates that the unique challenges facing women have led to $300 billion credit deficit for women-owned, small- and medium-sized enterprises in the developing world.

Caren Grown, senior director for gender at the World Bank Group, said the new fund is the first of its kind and will take a “multi-pronged, eco-system approach” to tackle the collection of constraints facing women entrepreneurs, ranging from access to capital to training and support.

“I’ve been working on this topic for many years, and having a facility dedicated specifically to women with this level of finance -- we’ve never had something to this scale, something that really brings together the commercial private sector with governments,” Grown said.

Fourteen countries have collectively contributed $340 million to the fund -- $50 million of that is from the United States -- which will be used to enable at least an additional $800 million in international financial institutions and commercial financing.

Grown said one of the keys to getting the new fund off the ground has been the advocacy on the part of the first daughter, along with Chancellor Angela Merkel and International Monetary Fund Managing Director Christine LaGarde.

“The high-level advocacy has been really important,” Grown said. “We needed that push, and also the environment is right.”

The concept of the fund grew out of a conversation between the first daughter and World Bank President Jim Yong Kim early in the Trump administration, according to senior officials from the White House and World Bank, with the two identifying that there is not a comparable initiative. While the first daughter has no role in running the facility, she will continue to play an outside advocacy role going forward.

“The progress that the Women Entrepreneurs Finance Initiative has made over the past few months is encouraging and exciting,” Ivanka Trump said in a statement. “I look forward to continuing my work with the World Bank Group via this facility to support women entrepreneurs around the globe and remove existing barriers to their growth and success.”

The fund will seek to create more independent entrepreneurs such as Babacar, whose unique success story was made possible in large part thanks to the foresight of her father. When given the choice to invest in Babacar’s education or one of her two older brothers, he chose to invest in his daughter.

“In Senegal, back then, most girls did not go to school. For my dad to make that choice was really not understandable at that time, but he followed his gut that there are no limits for girls,” Babacar said.

Her father’s investment paid off.

Now in her early 30s, Babacar manages her family’s business that her father started in the 1970s with $120 he received from Anta’s grandfather to buy 100 chicks. After multiple setbacks, the poultry-focused business has grown into an empire that also produces flour.

The idea to break into the flour market was Babacar’s idea. And she’s made another change too: Hiring more women to positions of power within the company.

Babacar said women often face discrimination in the hiring process because of their gender.

“For certain positions, they will not even look at the resume. They will just look at the picture -- man on one side, woman on the other -- and they will pick the man,” she said, adding that pregnancy is viewed as “a sickness.”

“If it was a man, we would not be missing four or five months. For that reason, they would have chosen to put a man in that position, which I think is really unfair,” she added.

Now in a position to hire herself, Babacar sees it as her responsibility to not only help other qualified women advance in her business, but also to serve as the role model she never had for other aspiring women entrepreneurs.

Joshua Boyle -- who arrived at Toronto's Pearson International Airport with his wife Caitlan Coleman and their children -- told reporters inside the Air Canada terminal that the Haqqani network killed a fourth child born in captivity -- an infant daughter -- and raped his wife.

"The stupidity and the evil of the Haqqani networks, kidnapping of a pilgrim and his heavily pregnant wife engaged in helping ordinary villagers in Taliban-controlled regions of Afghanistan was eclipsed only by the stupidity and evil of authorizing the murder of my infant daughter, Martyr Boyle," Boyle said, revealing the murder of his daughter.

He added, revealing the rape of his wife, "As retaliation of the repeated refusal to accept an offer that the criminal miscreants of the Haqqani had made to me. And the stupidity and evil of the subsequent rape of my wife, not as the lone action of one guard, but assisted by the captain of the guards and the commandant."

Speaking about the couple's children, Boyle said, "Obviously it would be of incredible importance to my family that we are able to build a secure sanctuary for our 3 surviving children to call a home, to focus on edification," Boyle told reporters. "And to try to regain of the childhood that they had lost."

The Government of Canada issued the following statement on the arrival of Joshua Boyle, his wife Caitlan Coleman and their children at Toronto's Pearson International Airport: "Today, we join the Boyle family in rejoicing over the long-awaited return to Canada of their loved ones. Canada has been actively engaged on Mr. Boyle’s case at all levels, and we will continue to support him and his family now that they have returned."

The couple and their children were rescued in a dramatic operation orchestrated by the U.S. and Pakistani governments, officials said Thursday.

The couple were abducted in October 2012 while in Afghanistan as part of a brief backpacking trip and held by the Haqqani network, which has ties to the Taliban and is considered a terrorist organization by the U.S. government. Coleman was pregnant at the time.

The operation came after years of U.S. pressure on Pakistan for assistance. It unfolded quickly and included what some described as a shootout and a dangerous raid. U.S. officials did not confirm the details.

The family arrived in Toronto after flying from Islamabad, Pakistan, with a stopover in London. The family was seated in business class next to U.S. State Department officials.

Boyle expressed his displeasure with U.S. foreign policy by gesturing to one of the U.S. State Department officials and saying, "Their interests are not my interests."

Boyle said one of his children is suffering from health issues and needed to be force-fed by rescuers.

Joshua Boyle -- who arrived at Toronto's Pearson International Airport with his wife Caitlan Coleman and their children -- told reporters inside the Air Canada terminal that the Haqqani network killed a fourth child born in captivity -- an infant daughter -- and raped his wife.

"The stupidity and the evil of the Haqqani networks, kidnapping of a pilgrim and his heavily pregnant wife engaged in helping ordinary villagers in Taliban-controlled regions of Afghanistan was eclipsed only by the stupidity and evil of authorizing the murder of my infant daughter, Martyr Boyle," Boyle said, revealing the murder of his daughter.

He added, revealing the rape of his wife, "As retaliation of the repeated refusal to accept an offer that the criminal miscreants of the Haqqani had made to me. And the stupidity and evil of the subsequent rape of my wife, not as the lone action of one guard, but assisted by the captain of the guards and the commandant."

Speaking about the couple's children, Boyle said, "Obviously it would be of incredible importance to my family that we are able to build a secure sanctuary for our 3 surviving children to call a home, to focus on edification," Boyle told reporters. "And to try to regain of the childhood that they had lost."

The Government of Canada issued the following statement on the arrival of Joshua Boyle, his wife Caitlan Coleman and their children at Toronto's Pearson International Airport: "Today, we join the Boyle family in rejoicing over the long-awaited return to Canada of their loved ones. Canada has been actively engaged on Mr. Boyle’s case at all levels, and we will continue to support him and his family now that they have returned."

The couple and their children were rescued in a dramatic operation orchestrated by the U.S. and Pakistani governments, officials said Thursday.

The couple were abducted in October 2012 while in Afghanistan as part of a brief backpacking trip and held by the Haqqani network, which has ties to the Taliban and is considered a terrorist organization by the U.S. government. Coleman was pregnant at the time.

The operation came after years of U.S. pressure on Pakistan for assistance. It unfolded quickly and included what some described as a shootout and a dangerous raid. U.S. officials did not confirm the details.

The family arrived in Toronto after flying from Islamabad, Pakistan, with a stopover in London. The family was seated in business class next to U.S. State Department officials.

Boyle expressed his displeasure with U.S. foreign policy by gesturing to one of the U.S. State Department officials and saying, "Their interests are not my interests."

Boyle said one of his children is suffering from health issues and needed to be force-fed by rescuers.

So, exactly how many nuclear weapons does the United States have? And what is the U.S. doing to modernize its arsenal?

As of September 2015, the United States has a total of 4,571 warheads in its nuclear weapons stockpile, according to a State Department official. The United States has retired thousands of nuclear warheads that are removed from their delivery platform that are not included in this total, the official said, noting those warheads are not functional and are in a queue for dismantlement.

The 2011 New START (Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty) nuclear weapons agreement limits to 1,550 the number of nuclear warheads that can be deployed on ICBMs, submarines or heavy bombers by the U.S. and Russia. Both countries have until February 2018 to meet the New START’s reduction target levels for deployed warheads.

The U.S. currently has 1,393 deployed nuclear weapons while Russia has 1,561. The larger Russian number is a temporary increase as Russia replaces older warheads with new ones.

The components of America's nuclear triad of Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles (ICBM's), strategic bombers, and submarine-launched ballistic missiles are decades old. While the Pentagon has undergone a modernization process to keep these systems intact over that time, the Pentagon has plans to replace each leg of the triad in the coming decades.

The Pentagon will soon release the results of a Nuclear Posture Review requested by President Trump soon after he was sworn in. That review will help guide the administration's future plans for the modernization of the nuclear force.

But the Pentagon's plans to update and modernize the nuclear triad will be a lengthy and costly enterprise. Defense Secretary Ash Carter told Congress earlier this year that it will cost $350 billion to $450 billion to update and modernize beginning in 2021. But there are some estimates that a 30-year modernization program could cost as much as $1 trillion.

And that process has gotten underway since the lifespan of the existing delivery systems ends in the next 15 to 20 years. Replacement systems are currently in the phase of research, development, testing and evaluation.

The U.S. Air Force maintains a fleet of 406 Minuteman III ICBM missiles located in underground silos across the plains states, each carrying multiple nuclear warheads. A key leg of the nuclear triad, the Minuteman III missiles went into service in the 1970's and have been upgraded ever since to keep them mission ready. No new ICBM missiles have gone into service since the MX missile was deployed in the 1980's, but those missiles were retired a decade ago.

Last summer, the Air Force began the process of soliciting designs for a new ICBM to replace the Minuteman III, with the first new missile scheduled to enter service by 2029.

The Air Force has already begun the process of replacing the 76 B-52 strategic bombers that have been flying since the 1960's with the new B-21 "Raider" that will begin flying in 2025. Upgrades to the B-52, designed in the 1950's, have allowed the aircraft to continue serving as a nuclear-capable aircraft and also allowed it to conduct airstrikes against ISIS.

The Navy has also begun the process to find a replacement for its 14 Ohio Class ballistic missile submarine fleet that first went into service in the 1980's. But the first Columbia Class submarine is not slated to enter service until 2031.

But it is important to point out that a replacement of these systems, while incredibly expensive, does not equate to an overall growth of the nuclear arsenal.

In other words, the U.S. is looking to become more efficient -- it’s not looking for more nuclear weapons. As one defense official put it, with the cost of the new systems, the Pentagon is simply not able to do a one-to-one replacement.

]]>iStock/Thinkstock(WASHINGTON) -- President Donald Trump has said that, while he would prefer that no country have nuclear weapons, he would like to see the U.S. have superiority in the number of weapons and that they be in "tip-top shape".

So, exactly how many nuclear weapons does the United States have? And what is the U.S. doing to modernize its arsenal?

As of September 2015, the United States has a total of 4,571 warheads in its nuclear weapons stockpile, according to a State Department official. The United States has retired thousands of nuclear warheads that are removed from their delivery platform that are not included in this total, the official said, noting those warheads are not functional and are in a queue for dismantlement.

The 2011 New START (Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty) nuclear weapons agreement limits to 1,550 the number of nuclear warheads that can be deployed on ICBMs, submarines or heavy bombers by the U.S. and Russia. Both countries have until February 2018 to meet the New START’s reduction target levels for deployed warheads.

The U.S. currently has 1,393 deployed nuclear weapons while Russia has 1,561. The larger Russian number is a temporary increase as Russia replaces older warheads with new ones.

The components of America's nuclear triad of Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles (ICBM's), strategic bombers, and submarine-launched ballistic missiles are decades old. While the Pentagon has undergone a modernization process to keep these systems intact over that time, the Pentagon has plans to replace each leg of the triad in the coming decades.

The Pentagon will soon release the results of a Nuclear Posture Review requested by President Trump soon after he was sworn in. That review will help guide the administration's future plans for the modernization of the nuclear force.

But the Pentagon's plans to update and modernize the nuclear triad will be a lengthy and costly enterprise. Defense Secretary Ash Carter told Congress earlier this year that it will cost $350 billion to $450 billion to update and modernize beginning in 2021. But there are some estimates that a 30-year modernization program could cost as much as $1 trillion.

And that process has gotten underway since the lifespan of the existing delivery systems ends in the next 15 to 20 years. Replacement systems are currently in the phase of research, development, testing and evaluation.

The U.S. Air Force maintains a fleet of 406 Minuteman III ICBM missiles located in underground silos across the plains states, each carrying multiple nuclear warheads. A key leg of the nuclear triad, the Minuteman III missiles went into service in the 1970's and have been upgraded ever since to keep them mission ready. No new ICBM missiles have gone into service since the MX missile was deployed in the 1980's, but those missiles were retired a decade ago.

Last summer, the Air Force began the process of soliciting designs for a new ICBM to replace the Minuteman III, with the first new missile scheduled to enter service by 2029.

The Air Force has already begun the process of replacing the 76 B-52 strategic bombers that have been flying since the 1960's with the new B-21 "Raider" that will begin flying in 2025. Upgrades to the B-52, designed in the 1950's, have allowed the aircraft to continue serving as a nuclear-capable aircraft and also allowed it to conduct airstrikes against ISIS.

The Navy has also begun the process to find a replacement for its 14 Ohio Class ballistic missile submarine fleet that first went into service in the 1980's. But the first Columbia Class submarine is not slated to enter service until 2031.

But it is important to point out that a replacement of these systems, while incredibly expensive, does not equate to an overall growth of the nuclear arsenal.

In other words, the U.S. is looking to become more efficient -- it’s not looking for more nuclear weapons. As one defense official put it, with the cost of the new systems, the Pentagon is simply not able to do a one-to-one replacement.

]]>Two-star Army general relieved from duty for alleged inappropriate contactshttp://stillwaterradio.net/abc-world-news/e01d5e8ed3e46942208612e80e3201c6
Fri, 13 Oct 2017 19:07:00 -0500http://stillwaterradio.net/abc-world-news/e01d5e8ed3e46942208612e80e3201c6iStock/Thinkstock(WASHINGTON) -- The Army has relieved from duty a two-star general who allegedly sent inappropriate Facebook messages to the wife of an enlisted soldier under his command at a base in Camp Vicenza, Italy.

"Maj. Gen. Joseph Harrington was today relieved of his duties as the Commander of United States Army Africa / Southern European Task Force due to a loss of confidence in his ability to command,” said Col. Pat Seiber, an Army spokesman, in a statement on Friday.

“The Army has been investigating allegations related to Maj. Gen. Harrington's communications with the spouse of an enlisted Soldier; however, since the review of the investigation is still ongoing, we can provide no further comment at this time."

An Army official said Harrington allegedly sent inappropriate Facebook messages to the soldier's wife.

U.S. Army Africa, based at Camp Vicenza, Italy, is responsible for U.S. Army troops that are deployed to Africa for training and bilateral exercises.

Harrington has been reassigned to the staff of the Director of the Army at the Pentagon until the investigation is finished, said the official.

]]>iStock/Thinkstock(WASHINGTON) -- The Army has relieved from duty a two-star general who allegedly sent inappropriate Facebook messages to the wife of an enlisted soldier under his command at a base in Camp Vicenza, Italy.

"Maj. Gen. Joseph Harrington was today relieved of his duties as the Commander of United States Army Africa / Southern European Task Force due to a loss of confidence in his ability to command,” said Col. Pat Seiber, an Army spokesman, in a statement on Friday.

“The Army has been investigating allegations related to Maj. Gen. Harrington's communications with the spouse of an enlisted Soldier; however, since the review of the investigation is still ongoing, we can provide no further comment at this time."

An Army official said Harrington allegedly sent inappropriate Facebook messages to the soldier's wife.

U.S. Army Africa, based at Camp Vicenza, Italy, is responsible for U.S. Army troops that are deployed to Africa for training and bilateral exercises.

Harrington has been reassigned to the staff of the Director of the Army at the Pentagon until the investigation is finished, said the official.

]]>Storytelling group Relato:Detroit celebrates diversity through bilingual performershttp://stillwaterradio.net/abc-world-news/a383251391c8cb427f0da9e57a08f870
Fri, 13 Oct 2017 18:10:00 -0500http://stillwaterradio.net/abc-world-news/a383251391c8cb427f0da9e57a08f870Nicole Lucio(DETROIT, Mich.) -- Every day, about 350 languages are spoken in American homes, according to 2015 U.S. Census Bureau data, with one in five residents speaking at least one language other than English. In the various cultural corners of Detroit, Michigan, a small organization is working to celebrate and embrace that diversity.

Once a month, Relato:Detroit, a storytelling project, provides a small stage for immigrants and bilingual performers to tell their stories the way they would speak at home. At these events, languages blended with English like “Spanglish,” “Porglish,” and “Chinglish” are the norm, allowing speakers of Spanish, Portuguese and Chinese to share their stories. Each gathering offers a different theme and featured speaker, and audiences get to hear an unfiltered version of storytellers' tales.

For example, last month’s event focused on the theme of love and featured Rabbi Herschel Finman. He recounted his love for Sabbath in a mixture of Yiddish and English.

The project's founder, Jeni De La O, said she doesn't want storytellers to worry about translation, so she works with performers to make sure audience members can follow the story based on context.

A first-generation Cuban American from Miami, De La O is a bilingual performer herself. The frustration of having to translate and explain different cultural norms as she went along led her to envision a platform that allowed bilingual people to speak freely, which later inspired her to start her own storytelling project. Relato:Detroit's slogan is "leave your translator at the door."

"To cage that innate tendency [to speak in multiple languages] inhibits them to tell a story naturally," De La O told ABC News.

Adolfo Campoy, an immigrant from Spain, echoed this sentiment as he performed in Thursday's Hispanic Heritage Month event at Oakland University in Michigan, where he works as a Spanish professor.

"We often forget many people around the world are bilingual and trilingual; it’s their natural state of being," Campoy told ABC News.

At the event, Campoy told a three-part story on the way Spanish speakers pass on knowledge and wisdom through refranes or "sayings." From his bedtime routine with his children to his experiences of working as a pro-bono translator for seasonal farm workers, he told one tale after another to the audience.

Jiyong Pak, a Korean American who is also fluent Spanish, spoke of her adventures in Peru. She said she accidentally stumbled into a prostitution ring in the Peruvian jungle, Puerto Maldonado. Through that experience, she told ABC News, she learned the importance of not only language but also our connection to each other as human beings.

De La O said she had a similar realization when she first moved to Detroit. She remembered walking into a grocery store in Dearborn, Michigan and overhearing families switching between English and Arabic. “In that moment, it felt a bit isolating,” she said.

But the more she thought about it, she said she realized their linguistic and cultural differences shouldn’t be “something that isolate or divide us." Instead, she said, those differences allow people to find beauty in all that makes us unique and human.

Even though English is the de facto national language in the United States, the country has never been monolingual. There are at least 126 languages spoken in Detroit homes, according to 2015 Census data. The beauty of storytelling from such diverse perspectives "is that it allows people to enter a room filled with strangers and by the end of the night we would feel like family," De La O said.

In the face of rising reports of intolerance and anti-immigrant rhetoric, she hopes to expand Relato:Detroit to other cities around the nation and continue to share more stories that will bring different communities together.

Many repeat performers for Relato:Detroit said they are grateful for De La O’s budding platform. Ber-Handa Williams, who teaches Spanish, told ABC News the project "allows folks to bring their whole selves to the experience and folks like me to walk both worlds as a bridge."

Myrna Segura, a community organizer and actress from Mexico, told ABC News she felt “vulnerable and empowered at the same time” to be able to perform in both English and Spanish. She believed her storytelling helped create “a sound and intangible vision, a feeling of who we are.”

“We live in a time where any difference is polarizing,” De La O said. “We should instead create bridges and find unison in diversity.”

]]>Nicole Lucio(DETROIT, Mich.) -- Every day, about 350 languages are spoken in American homes, according to 2015 U.S. Census Bureau data, with one in five residents speaking at least one language other than English. In the various cultural corners of Detroit, Michigan, a small organization is working to celebrate and embrace that diversity.

Once a month, Relato:Detroit, a storytelling project, provides a small stage for immigrants and bilingual performers to tell their stories the way they would speak at home. At these events, languages blended with English like “Spanglish,” “Porglish,” and “Chinglish” are the norm, allowing speakers of Spanish, Portuguese and Chinese to share their stories. Each gathering offers a different theme and featured speaker, and audiences get to hear an unfiltered version of storytellers' tales.

For example, last month’s event focused on the theme of love and featured Rabbi Herschel Finman. He recounted his love for Sabbath in a mixture of Yiddish and English.

The project's founder, Jeni De La O, said she doesn't want storytellers to worry about translation, so she works with performers to make sure audience members can follow the story based on context.

A first-generation Cuban American from Miami, De La O is a bilingual performer herself. The frustration of having to translate and explain different cultural norms as she went along led her to envision a platform that allowed bilingual people to speak freely, which later inspired her to start her own storytelling project. Relato:Detroit's slogan is "leave your translator at the door."

"To cage that innate tendency [to speak in multiple languages] inhibits them to tell a story naturally," De La O told ABC News.

Adolfo Campoy, an immigrant from Spain, echoed this sentiment as he performed in Thursday's Hispanic Heritage Month event at Oakland University in Michigan, where he works as a Spanish professor.

"We often forget many people around the world are bilingual and trilingual; it’s their natural state of being," Campoy told ABC News.

At the event, Campoy told a three-part story on the way Spanish speakers pass on knowledge and wisdom through refranes or "sayings." From his bedtime routine with his children to his experiences of working as a pro-bono translator for seasonal farm workers, he told one tale after another to the audience.

Jiyong Pak, a Korean American who is also fluent Spanish, spoke of her adventures in Peru. She said she accidentally stumbled into a prostitution ring in the Peruvian jungle, Puerto Maldonado. Through that experience, she told ABC News, she learned the importance of not only language but also our connection to each other as human beings.

De La O said she had a similar realization when she first moved to Detroit. She remembered walking into a grocery store in Dearborn, Michigan and overhearing families switching between English and Arabic. “In that moment, it felt a bit isolating,” she said.

But the more she thought about it, she said she realized their linguistic and cultural differences shouldn’t be “something that isolate or divide us." Instead, she said, those differences allow people to find beauty in all that makes us unique and human.

Even though English is the de facto national language in the United States, the country has never been monolingual. There are at least 126 languages spoken in Detroit homes, according to 2015 Census data. The beauty of storytelling from such diverse perspectives "is that it allows people to enter a room filled with strangers and by the end of the night we would feel like family," De La O said.

In the face of rising reports of intolerance and anti-immigrant rhetoric, she hopes to expand Relato:Detroit to other cities around the nation and continue to share more stories that will bring different communities together.

Many repeat performers for Relato:Detroit said they are grateful for De La O’s budding platform. Ber-Handa Williams, who teaches Spanish, told ABC News the project "allows folks to bring their whole selves to the experience and folks like me to walk both worlds as a bridge."

Myrna Segura, a community organizer and actress from Mexico, told ABC News she felt “vulnerable and empowered at the same time” to be able to perform in both English and Spanish. She believed her storytelling helped create “a sound and intangible vision, a feeling of who we are.”

“We live in a time where any difference is polarizing,” De La O said. “We should instead create bridges and find unison in diversity.”